From Canned Food to Marzipan: Fun Facts Inside

Did you know how canned food stays fresh?
Food usually spoils because bacteria grow in it, and bacteria need air to multiply. So to keep food fresh for a long time, it’s sealed in cans (or sometimes in jars or plastic). First, the air is removed to create a vacuum, then the can is tightly sealed. Without air, bacteria can’t grow and the food stays good much longer.

Do you know what that white stuff in your kettle is?
That white layer at the bottom of your kettle or sink is called limescale. It’s made of calcium that comes from rainwater. Rainwater dissolves limestone in the ground, and that calcium ends up in our tap water. When the water is heated, the minerals settle and form a white crust.

Where do sunflower seeds come from?
The tasty seeds we love to snack on come from a few different sources: watermelon seeds, white pumpkin seeds, and black sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are picked from large sunflower fields and roasted so we can enjoy them.

Where is the biggest school in the world?
According to the Guinness Book of Records, it’s the Montessori School in Lucknow, India. It has over 47,000 students and around 3,800 teachers and staff! The school has about 30,000 computers, but there’s no space big enough to fit all the students together at one time.

What is marzipan made of?
Marzipan is a sweet treat made from ground almonds and fine sugar. Sometimes egg white is added too. No one is exactly sure where marzipan came from, but it’s been around since at least the 11th century and is believed to have started in Persia.

How does fruit turn into jam?
Some fruits like citrus naturally contain pectin, which works like a thickener when heated. When you cook the fruit, it thickens and becomes jam. For fruits that don’t have enough pectin, people use pectin powder made from citrus fruits to help the jam set.

What is fermentation in food?
Fermentation is a natural process where tiny organisms called yeast change sugar into alcohol or gas. It’s used to make wine from grapes, beer from grains, and to make bread dough rise. The yeast comes from a type of fungus and helps in many food preparations.